County firefighters aid with blazes

Firefighters from throughout San Joaquin County are still helping battle large fires statewide, most of them working long shifts against relentless smoke and flames.

As of Monday, the following firefighters were assigned to various incidents, which statewide had burned more than 600,000 acres.

• A strike team has spent more than two weeks battling the Big Sur fire. The firefighters rotated Sunday to relieve exhausted crews that have been working night shifts, said Ripon Fire Chief Dennis Bitters, who is coordinating the county's mutual aid. The team is comprised of engines from the Woodbridge, Stockton, Manteca, Tracy and Oakdale departments.

By Monday evening, the Big Sur fire had consumed 77,165 acres and was 18 percent contained — and was not expected to be contained until July 30, according to federal and state fire officials. A total of 2,308 fire personnel were battling the lightning-caused blaze that started June 21 and has closed Highway 1.

• Another strike team is working the Butte County fire, which also started June 21 due to lightning. The team from Waterloo/Morada, Thornton, Liberty, Mokelumne and Farmington departments was working 24-hour shifts, Bitters said.

The local crews are among 2,414 fire personnel battling the blaze that had consumed 27,600 acres by Monday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

• After spending three weeks on a large Mendocino fire and then in Big Sur, another local strike team came home for the July 4 weekend, because area departments needed more engines for the holiday weekend. They serviced the engines and then sent them to Butte County on Saturday.

The team, comprised of Clements, Linden/Peters, Ripon, Stockton and Lathrop/Manteca, is now working 24-hour shifts.

The Butte County fire is comprised of 38 separate fires, 11 of which were still burning Monday afternoon. Local crews are working on the Camp Fire, which had burned 9,600 acres by Monday morning, and were likely going to be there at least seven days, Bitters said.

• A Stockton fire captain is working as a supervisor in Big Sur. He has to hike more than two miles through rough terrain to get to his command area, which is out of cell phone range.

• Lodi and Defense Logistics Agency, based at the Tracy Defense Depot, had sent an engine each to join a strike team with crews from Nevada and Placer County, since each county was so short-handed. They worked by hand for nine days in the Weaverville area before returning home this weekend.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.